In its latest protest of Connecticut's only coal-fired electric plant, two dozen members of the local Healthy Connecticut Alliance traveled by bus Monday from Bridgeport to the plant operator's headquarters in Newark, N.J.

There, they joined forces with New Jersey residents who share similar concerns about Public Service Enterprise Group's business plan and its impact on the environment.

But part way through a meeting with Neil Brown, manager of external affairs for PSEG Power Connecticut, the protesters exited the conference room, unsatisfied with the company's refusal to end its use of coal at the plant.

"A lot of us got up and left the meeting because of the runaround they were giving us," said Elaine Thompson-Ward, a Bridgeport resident.

Thompson-Ward, who volunteers her time at Columbus School, said many South End children suffer from asthma problems. She was not convinced by claims that the plant is not a large source of local air emissions.

"How can you tell us that burning coal is healthy?" she said. "That's crazy."

The report, which is titled "Coal Blooded: Putting Profits Before People," ranked the South End plant as the 10th worst among the nation's 378 coal-fired plants.

The Healthy Connecticut Alliance, an alliance of local environmental groups, last protested the plant with a rally on McLevy Green in Bridgeport this summer. The group traveled to Newark on Monday to continue its efforts to shut down the coal plant.

"Shortly after acquiring the plant, PSEG Power Connecticut worked with the City of Bridgeport, environmental groups, the CT DEEP and Legislature to draft new power plant mercury emissions-control standards," the statement said. "In fact, the U.S. EPA used (Bridgeport Harbor Station) as a benchmark for its national limits. The company continues to support national Clean Air Act power plant requirements."

The Bridgeport plant, which operates during peak power demand, provides power for more than 530,000 homes from Bridgeport to Greenwich. The facility also burns natural gas.

"Earlier this year, the station was available to run when severe cold weather reduced the supply of natural gas for electricity production," the company's statement said.

But protesters refuse to give up efforts to shut down the facility, despite claims by PSEG that it has invested more than $150 million in emissions-control technology.